no need to wait. the retail race to christmas starts tonight. we'll show you which stores are open and who has the best deals. price and punishment. the multimillion-dollar judgment for "the price is right" model fired after having a baby. she spoke out overnight. and what not to do. the deep-fryer disasters. a lesson, today, for ambitious cooks everywhere. happy thanksgiving, everyone. i'm brandi hitt. paula faris is off this morning. >> and i'm rob nelson. there was celebrating in gaza after an agreement was reached to stop the violence, after eight days of intense fighting. >> hamas has declared today a national holiday. and says israel is inevitably destined for defeat. with more, we're joined by abc's lama hasan, who is live in jerusalem.

lama? >> reporter: good morning to you, brandi. we saw the cease-fire agreement yesterday that was mediated, brokered and announced by the egyptians. we saw the egyptian foreign minister announce that late last night that a cease-fire will take hold. that both israel and hamas have agreed to some of those terms. now, we saw the other major player in these negotiations, the united states. the foreign minister was flanked by u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton. and the feeling is that having her presence in the region has made a difference in expediting the negotiation talks. now, as for the cease-fire, it's safe to say that the region remains on -- quite tense at the moment. just waiting to see if the agreement will hold. now, both israel and hamas have agreed to some of those terms. and the main term is to stop the fighting. we're about -- over 13 hours, now, into the cease-fire agreement. and it seems to be holding. but having said that, the israeli defense forces, the idf, did report at least five rockets

were fired by hamas, from gaza, toward israeli cities. but israel did not respond. now, israel and hamas are spinning this differently. you have israel on the one hand saying that they were able to make a difference and cripple hamas' military capabilities by the amount of rockets that they fired and by the targets they hit. but then, you have hamas on the other hand, saying they succeeded in showing their military might by showing israel that they can hit deep into israeli cities and fire a long-range missile. so, there's a bit of difference in the way the outcome has resulted, from this recent conflict. >> and, lama, by any measure here, they're describing this as a very fragile peace. very tenuous. how important are the next few hours? >> reporter: oh, very important. they're really crucial. and that's why all eyes are on both sides and waiting to see what happens next. so far, as i was saying, we're over 13 hours, now, into this cease-fire agreement.

and both sides seem to have stopped the fighting. so, it just depends on if one decides to attack the other and how the other side will respond. as i said, the region remains tense to wait and see if this cease-fire holds. and if both sides actually do stop the fighting. now, the next phase of this agreement will be the difficult stage of this process, where they actually sit down and try to hammer out something that is long-lasting or longer-lasting than what we've seen in the past. brandi and rob? >> okay, we hope, lama. lama hasan, reporting live for us in jerusalem. thank you. the other big story here at home, holiday getaway gridlock. it is, yes, a very big thanksgiving tradition, as much as the turkey and all the trimmings. and this year, it was no different. >> that's for sure. air travel hit a major snag with planes trying to get in and out of chicago's o'hare airport, were grounded by a thick layer of fog. hundreds of flights were canceled.

hundreds more, delayed. and that triggered a ripple effect across the country. >> travelers in and out of the l.a.x. area found the added headache of a strike by all of these airport workers. not only was plane traffic snarled. but roadways near the airport were backed up for hours. and this morning, police have arrested about a dozen people, still on the street outside l.a.x., for violating a dispersal order. and on the east coast, train travelers had to cope with a full-on shutdown of the nation's busiest rail station, new york's penn station. and it happened at the height of the evening rush. a power failure in the switching system crippled all train traffic for more than an hour. causing delays of 90 minutes or more. the holiday shopping season is getting under way so early this year, you may have to skip the pumpkin pie if you do not want to miss out. >> here we go again. bargain-hunters are getting such a big jump on rock-bottom prices, that names like black thursday, and even gray thursday, yeah, gray thursday, they are quickly catching on. it seems black friday can't come soon enough for some shoppers.

>> are you ready? here we go. >> reporter: and retailers. so, welcome to black thursday. retailers from walmart, sears and kmart will offer door-busting deals at 8:00 p.m. tonight. while best buy, kohl's and macy's will open at midnight. >> what we saw last year, is black thursday, from 10:00 to 11:00, that was our most popular hours by far. clearly there are customers that want to put away the leftovers, bring out the circulars and start shopping. >> reporter: but not everyone is happy. walmart employees in some states plan a black friday walkout to protest the early hours. >> we demand respect. >> you need to be home with your family on thanksgiving. >> reporter: still, retailers could still miss out on a big payday. the wealthiest are expected to spend 3% less this holiday season. and past images of shoppers being trampled rushing into stores could keep some folks at home. but there are deals to be had for those who take the plunge. flat-screen tvs at walmart. and $100 digital cameras at target.

>> electronics are going to be huge again. there's the ipad mini everybody wants. the iphone five. and for kids, there's the leap pad 2. >> reporter: and retailers are hoping that's enough to entice shoppers to skip that second slice of pumpkin pie and head out to the mall. so, are those door-buster sales really worth it? well, later this half hour, we'll tell you where you might dig up some even better deals. the first family is celebrating thanksgiving at the white house. we're not exactly sure what's on the menu. but we do know what is not. two very lucky birds. yesterday, the president pardoned the newly-designated national turkey, cobbler, and his alternate, gobbler. as you can hear, gobbling quite a bit. alluding to his re-election, the president joked that life is all about second chances. time, now, for a look at weather from across the country this turkey day. most of the country will enjoy some very nice weather. that's certainly good news. the rain has finally stopped in the pacific northwest. so, seattle and portland can dry out after a few rough days in that corner of the country.

also, a cold front brings a few inches of snow to south dakota. and could be rainy in dallas after dinnertime. >> it is going to be the warmest thanksgiving in chicago in 50 years. but there's going to be a few showers, too. minneapolis will start off much warmer than usual. and then, plunge into the 20s. denver and los angeles, are also warmer than usual. bit of a flip-flop. >> most of the country, in good shape. that's good. yeah. coming up next, expert advice on that big question for shoppers. are those door-buster deals actually good bargains? >> and is it worth the bruising, right? also, new details from the neighborhood devastated by that mystery blast. dozens of those homes now ready to meet the wrecking ball. and a holiday jackpot more than 300 million bucks. sounds good. the new color changing candle from air wick, brings light and fragrance together, to create a mesmerizing experience in your home.

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welcome back. 200 military families in washington state have been reunited just in time for thanksgiving. so good to see. the soldiers returned yesterday from afghanistan to joint base lewis-mcchord. and there's a lot of hugs and kisses with their loved ones. turned out to greet them. >> always good to see that. especially this time of year. other headlines this morning. u.n. ambassador susan rice is responding to criticism over her remarks about the benghazi attack. rice came under some very heavy fire for saying that a mob enraged over that anti-muslim video was actually behind that attack back on september 11th. now, rice says the erroneous information was based on initial intelligence community assessment. and was always suggest to review and updates. after months of mental

health issues and allegations of political misconduct, jesse jackson jr. is calling it quits. he turn in his resignation letter yesterday. he easily won re-election. jackson is reportedly facing a federal investigation into possible misuse of campaign funds. new york city police have charged a door-to-door salesman with the murders of three brooklyn shopkeepers. they say 63-year-old salvatore barone was ready to kill again. police say the suspect's fingerprints were on the murder weapon. they have yet to determine his motive. and more than two dozen homes damaged in the indianapolis explosion will have to be torn down because of safety concerns. four other houses hit by the blast are part of an active crime scene. investigators say the explosion was murder. but there so far have been no arrests. this could go a long way toward your holiday shopping list.

the powerball jackpot is $325 million after no winning tickets were drawn last night. two lucky buyers in georgia and new york did get all of the numbers except the powerball. they get 1 million bucks each. the next drawing is saturday night. >> that million bucks is something to be thankful for. >> definitely. >> not too shabby. >> no reason to go black friday shopping with that. coming up next on this thanksgiving morning, a shocker for shopaholics. can you do better than the door-buster deals? and the model's millions. a huge judgment for the "price is right" star, fired after maternity leave. she spoke out overnight. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and for some people, it can work in as early as the first week of treatment. so now i can do more of the things that i enjoy.

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you'll always make an entrance. jergens®. the beautiful difference. it's "go" time.. this is no ordinary thanksgiving. sears black friday doorbusters start 8pm thursday, going all night with more doorbusters 4am friday. this is sears. today won't be complete without the annual macy's thanksgiving day parade here in new york. thousands of people gathered last night as dozens of balloons were inflated. there are three new characters, joining the crowd this year, papa smurf, elf on a shelf and the new version of hello kitty. 3 million people are expected to line the parade route this

morning. >> get out of the show quickly this morning. the crowds are already lining up here. just word to the wise there. and it's a remarkably good day for travel, with most of the country enjoying dry weather. the roads around chicago and dallas, though, could be a little wet. >> and a good day to fly, as well. with delays expected only in minneapolis. if you're getting up early tomorrow to go shopping, you could be wasting your time a little bit. those door-buster deals being offered may not actually be the best deals. >> listen to this. "the wall street journal" reports that many of this year's black friday specials were available at lower prices earlier this year. sometimes at the same retailer. "the journal" says customers just assume the best prices can be found today. and the stores, well, they're careful not to say anything. maybe what they say about that. >> quiet, quiet. holiday shopping online, yes. already off to a good start. there was a 16% increase in spending in the first 18 days of november compared to last year. more than 10 billion bucks.

comscore says it's a combination of more consumer confidence and retailer promotion. but online shopping is growing faster than in-store business. a show of appreciation for the army of volunteers still pitching in to help the victims of hurricane sandy. a pre-thanksgiving dinner was held yesterday for hundreds of volunteers in the hard-hit neighborhood of breezy point, queens. many of them have actually chosen to be away from their own families to help with the rebuilding. and some say they won't head home until the job is done. a former "price is right" model is celebrating a pretty big legal victory. a california jury awarded brandi cochran more than $8.5 million after she sued the show's producers for discriminating against her for getting pregnant. now, cochran said she was called names on the set, as her pregnancy began to show. and she lost her job after giving birth. >> so grateful to the jury.

for acknowledging that, you know, the lost work and the lost wages, that's part of why i'm here. it's been a very emotional time. i want to be able to tell katie, my daughter, one day it's worth standing up for something. >> the producers of "the price is right," they do plan to appeal. they said the court refused to hear and consider the fact that 40% of their models have, in fact, been pregnant. we also want to take a moment to mark the passing of a popular tv chef, mr. food. his real name was art ginsburg. best-known for his quick, affordable recipes, embraced by so many of you, millions across the country. and for the most part, he was the flip-side of the foodie-style chefs. he rarely met a can of food he didn't like. of course, mr. food will be remembered mostly for his officially trademark catchphrase. >> ooh, it's so good. >> art ginsburg had been suffering from pancreatic cancer. he was 81 years old.

and there is a triple-play today from the nfl. the lions host the texans. the redskins, they're down in dallas. and the patriots against the jets. for the latest sports highlights, we go over to our friends at espn news. >> welcome to your "sportscenter" update. i'm jorge andres. the new york knicks trying to get to 9-1, in their first ten games of their season, for the first time since the '72-'73 season. first quarter, jason kidd to carmelo anthony. the alley-oop jam. and tyson chandler. chandler, 21 points, 13 boards on the night. knicks up. third quarter, now. anthony, how about a pullup "j." he had 23 points, 6 boards and 4 helpers. knicks up 69-64. fourth quarter. vince carter. 3 of his 25 points off the bench. mavericks have a seven-point lead. anthony drives. doing the work. getting the acrobatic shot to go.

but the ref called offensive foul. take another look. tough call on anthony. the mavericks, they go on to win it, 114-111. kevin durant and the thunder, taking on the clippers. third quarter, durant throws the ball to duncan. hits a lady in the face. ever a gentleman. kisses her on the forehead. apologizes. gentleman. late fourth quarter. nothing happened there. matt barnes, this basket. 19 points, 9 boards for him. clippers tie at 102-102. we go to overtime. in o.t., durant, 3 of his 35 points on the night. okc up four. later in overtime. russell westbrook, how about 2 of his 23 points? he also had nine helpers. the thunder, they win it, 117-111. that's your "sportscenter" update. i'm jorge andres. have a great day. this thanksgiving is extra special for a football phenom from utah. she is 9-year-old samantha

gordon, the only girl in her utah little league football team. >> general mills is honoring sam by putting her image on the box of wheatties. she rushed for nearly 2,000 yards and scored 35 touchdowns, putting most of her teammates to shame and in the dust. >> but it won't be on sale to the public. coming up next, "the pulse," and a cake/pie combo. the holiday dessert you have to see to believe. and what not to do today when it comes to cooking that turkey. the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but not anymore. bob's doctor recommended a different option: once-a-day xarelto®. xarelto® is the first and only

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makes you nervous. the typical calorie intake for most adults on an ordinary day is about 2,000, more or less. but if you break down the thanksgiving meal, you're looking at an extra 500 calories at least for that meal. the only way to compensate is to load up on the cranberry sauce. and you have to forget the 900 calories of pumpkin pie. >> what's the fun in that? some of the more daring of us have adopted turducken for our holiday choice. that's turkey, stuffed with duck, stuffed with chicken. you follow that? >> yeah. a similar breed of desserts is making the rounds on youtube. only in america, people. it is the cherpumple. a three-layer concoction of cherry pie, baked into a white cake. pumpkin pie, bakes in a yellow cake. all topped with cream cheese. and don't forget the frosting. you may want to have an ambulance standing by if you decide to make that. does that look appetizing? >> that does nothing for me.

good ruck luck with that, folks. and for those that want to keep the oven off this thanksgiving, a word of warning if you're going to be using those turkey fryers. >> look to youtube at the deep-fry disasters. most cooks put too much oil in the pot and it catches fire when the big bird is dropped in. >> we're also told that it helps to remain sober when dealing with fire and hot oil. that's a good idea. and get a fire extinguisher, not a garden hose, in case that's what you need. >> if you never experienced the succulent joy of a deep-fried turkey, it is well worth the potential fire hazard. it's delicious stuff. just saying. for some of you, your local news is next. >> stay with us. ♪

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showers for chicago and dallas. and the pacific northwest gets a chance to dry out before another storm arrives tonight. finally from us this thanksgiving morning, that kid from an iowa college who broke a major scoring record. jack taylor has been on "gma," jimmy kimmel and who knows what is next? >> so, awesome. so, what was the secret to that remarkable shooting streak? here's abc's darren rovell. >> reporter: in a small gym in iowa, in front of a sparse crowd on last night, something magical happened. keep your eye on number 3. jack taylor of grinnell college, hoisting shot after shot after

shot and actually scoring. taylor threw 108 shots in the air on tuesday night. 52 of them went through the net. that's a shot taken every 20 seconds to score those 138 points. taylor not only broke the college record, he surpassed wilt chamberlain's nba record of 100 points scored 50 years ago. los angeles lakers superstar kobe bryant holds the single-game record among active players with 81 points. >> a college kid scored a 138 points tonight. took over 100 shoots. >> wow. that's crazy, man. i don't care what level you're at. scoring 138 points is pretty insane. >> reporter: so, how did he do it? first of all, it was a team effort. taylor took 77% of his team's shots. >> i'm not really the type of player that comes off screens and shoots. i'm more the type of player that likes the ball. >> reporter: to keep from getting fatigued, taylor would save his energy by not playing defense. watch this possession where taylor stops at half-court as

his teammates do the work. when his team gets the rebound, he's already strategizing his next shot. some say this milestone doesn't deserve to get celebrated because taylor and the team weren't playing to win. they were playing for the record. >> this is a historic moment. >> reporter: no matter the motive or how he or they did it, a player scoring 138 points is 1 for the record books. darren rovell, abc news. >> it's an amazing feat. >> yeah. that's what's making news in america this morning. >> stay with us for "good morning america." have a great thanksgiving, everybody. go get that bird.